Had to choose between a rebuilt transmission or a used junkyard one last month

My 2005 F-150 started slipping in third gear around 180k miles. I called around and got quotes, one shop wanted $2,800 for a rebuild with a warranty, the other wanted $1,100 for a used unit from a salvage yard in Phoenix with 90k on it. I went with the used one to save money, but after 3 weeks it started making a whining noise. Has anyone else taken the cheap route on a major swap and regretted it, or did I just get bad luck?

3 comments

3 Comments

rubyschmidt12d ago

A warranty on the rebuild would've saved you that headache for sure.

margaret_kelly557d ago

junkyard parts are ALWAYS a gamble. My husband put a used motor in his old silverado from a yard in Tucson and it ran fine for like two months then started knocking. @rubyschmidt is right that warranty is everything with these big parts. We ended up spending MORE having the yard warranty us a second motor than if we just saved up for a rebuild the first time. Sometimes you just gotta eat the cost and learn the lesson.

grant_foster7912d ago

@rubyschmidt nailed it honestly. Warranty peace of mind is worth the extra cash (learned that one the hard way myself).